A Doctor's Tools

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3 A book to take some of the mystery out of a visit to the doctor. The instruments used in a routine examination are featured in two-page spreads, illustrated with clear black-and-white photographs. The tool is pictured alone on the left-hand page, with text and a photo of the instrument in use on the facing page. Descriptions are simple but thorough, and in some cases include the pronunciation of the tool's name. Uncomfortable procedures are explained in ways that should put fears to rest; a blood test is described as ``a fast, surprise kind of hurt. You hardly have time to say `ouch. ' '' Children from infants to pre-adolescents are pictured with their doctors as the various instruments are put to use. Their reactions are real, from the boy gasping when the cold stethoscope touches his chest to the child grimacing during a throat swab. For unpleasant procedures, a series of photos show that the discomfort was fleeting. Both male and female doctors are shown at work; they and their small patients convey a relaxed, comfortable feeling. Rockwell's My Doctor (Macmillan, 1973) is another good offering, but it can't match the thoroughness of A Doctor's Tools. Just what the doctor ordered, particularly for public libraries. Lucy Young Clem, Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library, Ind.